Absolutely Arianahttp://absolutelyariana.com
Fri, 21 Jul 2017 18:00:55 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.8.1http://absolutelyariana.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/cropped-A-4-32x32.pngAbsolutely Arianahttp://absolutelyariana.com
3232How to Pack Your Disney Park Baghttp://absolutelyariana.com/2017/07/21/how-to-pack-your-disney-park-bag/
http://absolutelyariana.com/2017/07/21/how-to-pack-your-disney-park-bag/#respondFri, 21 Jul 2017 18:00:55 +0000http://absolutelyariana.com/?p=1330Hiya! Last week, I was in DISNEY! Which is why there were no posts (which I apologize for). I underestimated how hectic things were going to be leading up to and during the trip! But now I’m back and so excited to write for you guys! In case you missed it, I recently shared a […]

]]>Hiya! Last week, I was in DISNEY! Which is why there were no posts (which I apologize for). I underestimated how hectic things were going to be leading up to and during the trip! But now I’m back and so excited to write for you guys! In case you missed it, I recently shared a post with my tips on planning a trip to Disney! On a related note, this brings me to today as I’m going to show you how I packed my Disney park bag!

I don’t know about you but when I go to Disney (or any theme park for that matter) I take a backpack (aka a park bag). It’s comfortable, holds all your stuff, and generally durable enough. You don’t want to be carrying loads of stuff or smaller bags around. And you don’t want the opposite, which would be needing something you didn’t bring because you didn’t have a park bag! It’s important to pack your Disney park bag correctly and with all the right stuff! This way you will have everything you need throughout the day and ensure an even more magical time!

The Backpack

First lets start with the bag. During my recent trip, I used my old Jansport backpack from school a couple years ago as my park bag (I can’t find mine but Jansport has a new Disney line! My favorite is the Blooming Minnie!) and it worked fine. In fact, I found it had more room and pockets than I probably needed but I didn’t know what I would buy inside the parks so I didn’t mind the extra space. Having a cute park bag is probably ideal but you really want to go for practicality, durability, and functionality here. Nobody will really care what your bag looks like and if you don’t want it in pictures, you can always take it off and place it out of frame!

The Contents

Next let’s discuss the contents of the bag! Here are the items that I packed every day:

Camera

Extra camera lens

Rain Jackets (and/or umbrella)

Wallet

Hand sanitizer

Glasses

Sunglasses

Minnie Ears*

Autograph book & pen*

*Optional

Florida is hot y’all. And you’re pretty much guaranteed at least one mini storm or rain shower a day. They don’t last long but it can be a torrential downpour. You just gotta be able to go with the flow. So it should be a staple to have a rain jacket and probably an umbrella (we had multiple between us) ready to go!

Packing the Bag

Main Compartment

Here I put my bigger and heavier stuff. I generally had my camera in my hands but whenever it wasn’t, I put it here. I also put my rain jacket, umbrella, and wallet here. It may not have made sense to put my wallet here but it did to me for some reason. I don’t know, don’t judge (jokes jokes)! Whenever I bought something from a store, it went here. So did any hats or ears whenever I took them off (which is necessary for some rides!).

Second Largest Compartment

My bag had like 4 compartments: a main one, a second large one, a smaller square one, and a front zip one. So in my second largest compartment, I put my extra camera lens. I didn’t want it in the main compartment because I didn’t want it hitting the ground when it sank to the bottom or other things sitting on top of it. I would also my autograph book and pen in there. Anything else that was too big for the other compartments but I didn’t want in the main compartment went in there.

Square Compartment

I put my external charger, charging cord, and glasses in here. Anything like that went into this compartment. They would probably get lost or accidentally fall out of the other ones (at least that’s what I was worried about haha!)

Front Zip

Pretty much anything small went here. I put my sunglasses here, my phone, and the hand sanitizer. I also had one mesh cup holder on the side that I sometimes put my phone and sunglasses if I didn’t have a water bottle there. It was easier to reach and I didn’t have to stop and take my backpack off or ask someone to help me get it out.

There ya have it! My guide to packing a park bag for Disney! Of course this is totally optional and customizable to you! I hope this maybe gave you an idea or some guidelines on how to pack a park bag to make it functional so you have the best day ever in the parks! Now you’re ready!

Was there something I missed? How do you pack a backpack for a day at Disney or any amusement park? Let me know in the comments!

]]>http://absolutelyariana.com/2017/07/21/how-to-pack-your-disney-park-bag/feed/05 Walt Disney World Trip Planning Tipshttp://absolutelyariana.com/2017/06/16/5-walt-disney-world-trip-planning-tips/
http://absolutelyariana.com/2017/06/16/5-walt-disney-world-trip-planning-tips/#respondFri, 16 Jun 2017 13:00:10 +0000http://absolutelyariana.com/?p=1298So you’ve decided to go to the most magical place ever, Walt Disney World? Well, my friend, I guarantee that was one of the best decisions you could have made! I’m here to talk about some important things in planning a Disney trip. (PSA: I’m most familiar with WDW so that’s the basis of all […]

]]>So you’ve decided to go to the most magical place ever, Walt Disney World? Well, my friend, I guarantee that was one of the best decisions you could have made! I’m here to talk about some important things in planning a Disney trip. (PSA: I’m most familiar with WDW so that’s the basis of all of my advice, I have no idea how similar or different Disneyland is!)

My Disney Experience (MDE) App

My number one tip would be to make the MyDisneyExperience app your best friend from the moment you book your trip to the very last day in the parks! (You can also visit the website on a laptop here!) This will allow you to do everything from reserve dining and Fastpasses to looking at the wait times WHILE your in the park!

Payment Deadline

When you start reserving for your Disney trip, you will have to put a deposit down. You can pay how little or more you want to after the deposit. However, 30 days before your departure for your trip, it has to be paid in full! So keep a check on that 30 day deadline! I also HIGHLY suggest that you go through AAA to plan your trip. Our family has found that they are super easy to work with and very very helpful!

Fastpass+ Deadline

If you and your trip members are stay at a Disney resort, then you can book your Fastpasses 60 days before your trip! Guys, this is huge. Fastpasses are basically tickets (connected to your MagicBands) that allow you to enter an alternate line for a ride or attraction for a smaller wait time! Not staying in a Disney Resort? It’s okay, you can reserve your Fastpasses starting 30 days before your trip! You can only book 3 Fastpasses per day, BUT good news is once you finish using your 3, you can schedule another one from a kiosk inside the park! It’s simpler to book your Fastpasses on the website via laptop or computer than through the app I think. I didn’t try it on the app so I played it safe I guess. Be sure to be on the website at 7:00 EST on the day you can book to ensure you have the best chance of getting the ones you want!

Bonus Tip: Try to think strategically about what days you want to go to which park AND how you think you might work your way through the park! This will help you in deciding what to Fastpass around what time! I would do some research on which rides are top priority for Fastpass and to your group. Especially if you are going during busy season! Wait times can be for hours, so if you really want to ride Space Mountain or Tower of Terror, hop on that Fastpass!

ADR

ADR stands for Advanced Dining Reservation. 180 days before your trip is when you can start making dining reservations. (If you want to eat at Be Our Guest (especially for dinner) this is super important because tables fill up quick!!!). There are quickservice (think fast food style service) meals and table service meals (sit-down vibes, often more expensive). You can pre-check menus on pretty much every restaurant (including price ranges) via the MyDisneyExperience website. I personally think it’s easier to do this on the website instead of the app also.

Disney Themed Outfit Planning

If you are a hardcore Disney goer (and follow a TON of Disney Instagrammers like me), then you surely have heard of DisneyBounding! People dress up in outfits inspired by their favorite characters! So incredibly fun and creative. Or people just wear their best Disney gear! If you and your family want matching shirts, go to Esty first! They have so many different options. Or if you just want different themed shirts, they have those too! There are so many small shops that sell cute themed t-shirts AND Minnie Mouse Ears! You can find just about anything! My number one tip is checking the shipping time, especially if you’re cutting it sort of close to the date of the trip.

I hope these 5 top tips helped you in either planning your trip or give you something to think about for the next trip! This is only the first of many Disney posts so stay tuned if you love the Mouse just as much as me!!

Do you have any Disney tips? OR What’s your favorite Disney movie and why? Let me know in the comments!!

]]>http://absolutelyariana.com/2017/06/16/5-walt-disney-world-trip-planning-tips/feed/0Reading is Good for the Souldhttp://absolutelyariana.com/2017/06/12/reading/
http://absolutelyariana.com/2017/06/12/reading/#commentsMon, 12 Jun 2017 13:00:30 +0000http://absolutelyariana.com/?p=1294If you are a person reading this post who does not like to read (ironic) then everything I am about to say may be totally lost on you. Or maybe it won’t because you’ll have an idea of what I’m talking about, you just get the same feeling from something other than books. For me, […]

]]>If you are a person reading this post who does not like to read (ironic) then everything I am about to say may be totally lost on you. Or maybe it won’t because you’ll have an idea of what I’m talking about, you just get the same feeling from something other than books.

For me, and many others, reading is an escape. Not necessarily to escape anything bad, though it can be that too, but it’s a way to completely get away from the stress of everyday life. It can be an escape from school, relationships, the business of everything, or those days when you want so badly to just take a break from your own brain. Books can provide that for you. And there is pretty much a book, more likely a genre of books, for just about everybody.

Let me tell ya, folks. There is nothing better than finishing a really good book. Not just finishing a book (which is great in and of itself), but finishing a book that beats so many others, its almost indescribable.

Let me back up. Finding a book, or even better a series of books, that speaks to your soul is quite an intense feeling. Finding a series of books that speaks to you is almost like taking a vacation every year to the same spot. The first time it’s fun and exciting, something totally new to explore. The second time it’s familiar but there are still some things left to be figured out. After awhile, you feel pretty comfortable there and it’s your favorite place to escape. You visit other places (books) often because there’s so much else out there to see (read). But when you come back to the place you visit all the time, the familiarity is so comforting yet exciting because there’s a new story within. The characters can feel like a family to you or at the very least your very best friends.

NOW, let’s add in the fact that it’s not just any old book, it’s a well written, balanced, good and flowing book. When you finish one of those books, it’s honestly one of the strangest (and best) feelings ever. Think of when you’ve just seen the BEST movie ever and you can’t wait to watch it again and just revel in how good it was. It’s exactly like that, but more. I get this bubbly feeling in my chest and I just want to jump up and down and let everyone know about the most amazing book that I finished. I sit and reflect because I have to go over what just happened, interpret, and think about what I take from it. I also get this intense adrenaline rush like I could run ten miles. I want to cry because it’s over. Cry because it was so good. Read it again to relive it. Reread the whole series just to go through the motions again.

I have always loved books. My mom says that I took to reading like a fish to water when I was really little. Words just make sense. Stories are ways to travel not only in our world, but to others too. Maybe even different galaxies. We meet knew people and go through these crazy and insane experiences just inside our heads from reading words on a page. It’s like we were there.

Possibly my absolute favorite thing about books is that the same book can mean such vastly different things to different people. Just one character can change what a person takes away from the book. Characters mean different things to different people. Or one book can be the most exciting and meaningful thing to me, but my sister could hate it.

If by this point in the post (hello if you are still here), you haven’t figured it out, I finished the last book in one of my favorite series today. Sometimes, when in a reading funk, you just know the right book to pull you out of it. I also had a great conversation over on my Twitter discussing YA, why I (& others) still read it, and some of our favorites. I was inspired then to write about books, the feeling that I get after finishing a great book, and why reading might actually be my favorite thing in the whole world.

P.S. The book that I finished was the last in the series The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. I would love to do a review-type post of these books if anyone would be interested!

I would also love to write more book related posts! Reviews, my favorites, etc. Let me know what book posts you like and also, tell me what book gave you #allthefeels in the comments!

]]>http://absolutelyariana.com/2017/06/12/reading/feed/4The Girl Behind the Bloghttp://absolutelyariana.com/2017/06/02/the-girl-behind-the-blog/
http://absolutelyariana.com/2017/06/02/the-girl-behind-the-blog/#commentsFri, 02 Jun 2017 13:00:23 +0000http://absolutelyariana.com/?p=1281Hey y’all! So things may look a little different around here if you are a returning read (hi, hello thank you for returning!). I decided to update some things and it’s still a work in progress! It is now summer time (even though I’m taking a couple summer classes this month) and I am so […]

]]>Hey y’all! So things may look a little different around here if you are a returning read (hi, hello thank you for returning!). I decided to update some things and it’s still a work in progress! It is now summer time (even though I’m taking a couple summer classes this month) and I am so excited for my plans for Absolutely Ariana! So, to jumpstart this summer of fun, I decided to do a little get to know me post. I realized I never did a proper introduction of myself on here before so readers, new and old, might be asking “Who is this girl writing these random posts?” Well, I think it’s time you get to know me a little better so here we go! (Wink)
(love some good ole’ selfie action)

Hi there! Let me introduce myself (drumroll please…. haha jokes), I’m Ariana! Hence the name Absolutely Ariana. I’m from North Carolina and just love the South. I love being here, I love traveling around it. It feels like home to me just about anywhere I go. I also feel like I’m from Florida (my mom is) and we travel down there every summer. North Carolina and Florida are my two favorite places and they equally have a piece of my heart. I am a junior in college! I attend UNCC and am working towards my Bachelor’s in Elementary Education with a minor in Psychology. Teaching is in my family (though not really my immediate family) and honestly, I have no clue what else I would do in this world. I wholeheartedly believe that I am meant to be a teacher one day. I also am wildly fascinated with psychology and how the brain works.

I have one sister, whom I adore, and one *plump* beagle, Baxter. I am such a dog person, it’s not a joke. Baxter and I are currently on a diet together (working on our beach bodies) but both of us are failing. Our love of food is causing us to dramatically fail.

This is my best friend, Abby. You might see her on the blog occasionally. We’ve known each other since 8th grade and we are super close. We may be the only people who think that we are funny, love way too many shows, and go to too many concerts together but at least we do it together. OH and she’s getting MARRIED y’all. My little ole bff is marrying the love of her life and I am so thrilled and happy for them both!

As for what I like to do, I love reading blogs and blogging myself. Sometimes school takes over and I get behind on blogging but I really do love it. I love way too many TV shows to count. My favorite color is pink. My mom turned me into a bookworm at a young age, so I try to find as much time to read as I can, although college doesn’t allow me much time. I touch on the guitar now and then and I love love love pictures. I’ve been deemed the family photographer for anything we go to. I enjoy it though. I like documenting things so I have them to look back on in the future and show my children or my grandchildren.

One more thing you should probably know is I love pretty much everything Disney related. Of course I grew up on Disney movies and went to Walt Disney World with my family for the first time when I was 8. We are a Disney family. Around that same time, in the 4th grade, I wrote a book report on a biography of Walt Disney and I graduated to “slightly obsessed” right after. I have been there pretty much ever since. This brings me to a teaser for post coming in the very near future!

I’M GOING TO DISNEY! In July! Okay yes I know, you’re sitting there saying “Wait didn’t she just say she goes to Florida A LOT? No sane person would tackle Disney World in the middle of JULY!?!” Yes, we know. It just happened to be the time that was easiest to fit into all of our schedules and we know that it’s going to be a sweaty, hot, and crowded of a grand ole time! I will still have the best time ever. SO, I’m going to write a ton of posts to help you guys if you ever want to go to Disney! I’ll tackle everything from where to stay to what Disney gear to wear to the parks!

I congratulate you if you made it this far. I hope you enjoyed getting to know me! If you want to keep getting to know me, follow me on Twitter, Instagram, and Bloglovin!

Hey, this isn’t just one sided either, no no no. I want to get to know you too! Introduce yourself in the comments! Until next time

]]>http://absolutelyariana.com/2017/06/02/the-girl-behind-the-blog/feed/2Five on Fridayhttp://absolutelyariana.com/2017/03/23/five-on-friday/
http://absolutelyariana.com/2017/03/23/five-on-friday/#respondThu, 23 Mar 2017 12:00:20 +0000http://absolutelyariana.com/?p=1247HEY Y’ALL! It’s been awhile since I’ve popped in but y’all that are in college, you know. It’s crunch time. Things have literally been insane and by the time I get home, all I want to do is mindlessly watch tv. Healthy? Nope. Good thing? Debatable. Good for my soul? Yep. I had spring break […]

]]>HEY Y’ALL! It’s been awhile since I’ve popped in but y’all that are in college, you know. It’s crunch time. Things have literally been insane and by the time I get home, all I want to do is mindlessly watch tv. Healthy? Nope. Good thing? Debatable. Good for my soul? Yep. I had spring break not too long ago and reaaaaally dove into some Netflix binge watching. So today, I’m sharing my top five shows I have been into lately!

When Calls the Heart

If y’all know me, you know Hallmark movies are the way to my soul. Especially the Christmas ones! When Calls the Heart is a touching show about young woman, Elizabeth, coming to a small mining town to be the new school teacher. It’s set in the early 20th century and has everything from humor and romance to heartwarming moments and morals to learn. I’m OBSESSED! (Especially with Elizabeth and Jack *swoon*) Catch up on Netflix then pop in to the Hallmark Channel to see season 4!

Lie To me

Now, my mom got me into this show. I had seen her watching and she kept saying “You would love this!”. So I cracked and watched. And it’s extremely fascinating! As someone who loves psychology (shoutout to my minor) and how people work, I am completely into this show! Dr. Lightman has formed a group (the Lightman group) of scientist who study micro-expressions. Micro-expressions are giveaways, expressions, or “tells” that we show in our faces, reactions, and body language that giveaway how we really feel OR if we are lying. Lightman and his associates use their gifts of observation and knowledge to solve crimes! It’s SO interesting to watch!

One Tree Hill

Yes I know, I’m very late to this party. But I’m ALMOST on season 2 and I’m so so so obsessed. Chad Michael Murray? Yes please! It’s a high school drama but I LOVE it (even though I’m not even a teenager anymore lol). One thing I love about it is that it was filmed and SET in North Carolina. Tree Hill is a fictional town but it was filmed in Wilmington, NC. They talk about our sports teams, beaches, they even went to Charlotte! It’s so trippy to know exactly where everything they talk about is (which means I need to book a trip to Wilmington ASAP!) If you haven’t seen or tried OTH already, watch at least two episodes before you decide if you like it!

(psst…. you’ll love it!)

The Travelers

I mentioned this show slightly in this post! This is yet another show my mom got me into. She had it finished before New Years but she rewatched it with me while I was still on break! This show is so crazy good. It’s a bit of a doozy (has some language in it and other possibly “mature” material but not a lot!). Because it’s quite complicated, here is an official description from the IMDB website: “Hundreds of years from now, surviving humans discover how to send consciousness back through time, into people of the 21st century, while attempting to save humanity from a terrible future.” The cast was enough to make me fall in love with the show, let alone the fast-paced, crazy storyline! There is a certain flow and it’s amazing. So far there’s only one season and they’re filming season two now so there WILL be more! (Thank GOODNESS!)

Friends

Of course, Friends! Obviously, I’ve definitely already seen pretty much every episode a million times. But my little sister has never seen it and I have LOVED rewatching it with her. Friends is hilarious and brilliant every time you watch it, but it’s even more so to watch it with someone seeing it for the first time!

There you have it! I think I’m going to do more of these “Five on Friday” posts! They’re fun, simple, and easy! What do y’all think?

]]>http://absolutelyariana.com/2017/03/23/five-on-friday/feed/0January Wrap-Up+A Taste of Winter| 2017http://absolutelyariana.com/2017/02/06/a-taste-of-winter/
http://absolutelyariana.com/2017/02/06/a-taste-of-winter/#commentsMon, 06 Feb 2017 13:00:59 +0000http://absolutelyariana.com/?p=1191I totally forgot to share these pics! It’s now early February and (at least here) starting to warm up slightly! We don’t usually get a lot of snow here. It usually snows once, generally in January, and melts before the week is up! But we typically get a day off school so there’s that! So I’ll […]

I totally forgot to share these pics! It’s now early February and (at least here) starting to warm up slightly! We don’t usually get a lot of snow here. It usually snows once, generally in January, and melts before the week is up! But we typically get a day off school so there’s that! So I’ll leave these wintry photos here for you as an (almost) au revoir to winter!

January Wrap-Up

January was kind of a crazy month!

I celebrated my 21st birthday this month so I would say that was my biggest highlight! I had a great time with my friends and family. Other than that, January has been a crazy whirlwind of a time. I had to add a class super last minute, so I had to play catch up a little bit. I am not taking five classes and let me tell you, this will be my hardest semester yet. I’m chalking it up to the fact that I’m now in my program officially so these are my major courses. I knew it wasn’t going to be easy but it’s been a bit more difficult than originally expected! I also am experiencing the first of many many many MANY clinicals for my major (education) so lots of observation and tutoring going on. I love it! But it is also nerve wracking. Nothing I can’t handle though, just gotta keep on keeping on (do people still say that?).

Watching– The Teen Wolf winter finale was an emotional roller-coaster(anyone who watches and loves #Stydia knows what I’m talking about), still watching Timeless because it’s AMAZING, The Travelers on Netflix is crazy good, and I started watching When Calls the Heart with mom and we are hooked. Thank you Hallmark for once again pulling on my hopeless romantic heartstrings.

Reading- Still reading See How They Run by Ally Carter (my favorite author)! I’m so much slower at finishing books these days (it really pains me to say that). I used to be able to read more than one a week! And yet my TBR pile keeps growing and growing…

Also, I’m loving Sadie Robertson’s (y’all know I love her) Live Original devotional book!! I received it for Christmas and it’s phenomenal. It’s a weekly devotional, which I like because since I have 8ams more than half the week, it is a struggle for me to do a full devotional in the morning (when I like to do them). I also bought a Journaling Bible and I’m obsessed! The one I bought is the Inspre: The Bible for Creative Journalinig. It has blank lined margins AND some with un-colored pictures that you can fill in!

Loving– HP Sprocket! It’s such a cool gadget and I LOVE it! I had wanted a polaroid camera for so long but they were so expensive plus the film! Which doesn’t last forever. So I never could make myself bite the bullet and splurge. Well, in Zoe Sugg’s “What’s in my Bag” video at the end of 2016, she talked about the Sprocket, a pocket-sized photo printer! You can print right from your phone, make them look like polaroids, and it’s so much cheaper!

]]>http://absolutelyariana.com/2017/02/06/a-taste-of-winter/feed/121 Things At 21http://absolutelyariana.com/2017/01/17/21-things-at-21/
http://absolutelyariana.com/2017/01/17/21-things-at-21/#respondTue, 17 Jan 2017 13:00:01 +0000http://absolutelyariana.com/?p=1215Good morning everyone! Guess what?! Ya girl turns twenty-one today. Yup. I feel extremely old actually. It’s kind of a weird birthday. Still considered young but actually kind of an adult, an actual twenty-something! Anyways, last year I shared 20 Things I Learned By 20 and I really enjoyed doing that post! So, seeing as this […]

]]>Good morning everyone! Guess what?! Ya girl turns twenty-one today. Yup. I feel extremely old actually. It’s kind of a weird birthday. Still considered young but actually kind of an adult, an actual twenty-something! Anyways, last year I shared 20 Things I Learned By 20 and I really enjoyed doing that post! So, seeing as this year it’s a milestone, here is 21 Things at 21!

Being alone is okay.

Even if you are good at being alone, you can still get lonely. Which is okay too.

Having standards is good.

Strawberry cheesecake is the bomb dot com.

Family is everything.

You will have doubts about your future but pray about it and keep pushing.

Life is coming faster and faster. It’s fun and exciting, but also kinda scary all in one.

Pink is-and will always be- the best, most happy color ever.

You probably won’t stop caring what others think by tomorrow. Just try to care less and less each day.

Planner stickers make everything better.

God has a plan, seek Him in everything you do.

Making time for your old hobbies is important, so don’t forget about them.

]]>http://absolutelyariana.com/2017/01/17/21-things-at-21/feed/0Spring Semester 2017 Goalshttp://absolutelyariana.com/2017/01/10/spring-semester-2017-goals/
http://absolutelyariana.com/2017/01/10/spring-semester-2017-goals/#respondTue, 10 Jan 2017 13:00:20 +0000http://absolutelyariana.com/?p=1179Hey y’all! I hope everyone has had a great first week of 2017! As I write this over the weekend, soaking up my last few days of winter break, I was inspired by this post on Dani Dearest‘s blog! I’ve never set goals for myself (at least outside of my own head) for the semester. I […]

]]>Hey y’all! I hope everyone has had a great first week of 2017! As I write this over the weekend, soaking up my last few days of winter break, I was inspired by this post on Dani Dearest‘s blog!

I’ve never set goals for myself (at least outside of my own head) for the semester. I just finished my first semester at my new school and I loved it. The campus, my classes, the people, everything. LOVE my school. But there were a ton of things I was excited to do once I transferred that didn’t really happen in the first semester. Obviously, I knew I wasn’t going to do everything in the first semester but I wasn’t fully satisfied with what I did do. I was a bit scared and timid and mostly focused on settling into everything. (Universities are way different than community college! Maybe I’ll do a post about that…)

So, I’ve decided to set semester goals for myself and I’m posting them here to hold myself accountable! But also to inspire someone else to set semester goals (or any goals)!

Get all A’s and B’s in my classes

This has been and always is my number one goal! I love school, I love learning, and I love the sense of accomplishment when I get good grades. Especially if the class is hard! Grades are the key to getting that degree, which is the whole point of being in college!

Attend a Delight Bible Study session

Delight Ministries is an all women’s Bible study group that has a chapter at my school. (They have many chapters at so many different colleges around the country! Just check out their website here to search for yours! I actually know a few girls already involved. I wanted to attend last semester but it just didn’t work out. They meet on days that are difficult for me to make it to. However, with my new schedule this semester, it should be easier and I want to make an effort to attend!

Make new friends

Now, this goal may seem silly to some people. I don’t know about y’all but I’m shy. I’ve definitely improved with talking to people and I’m pretty good about making “semester” friends with people seated around me in my classes (especially when the teacher makes you work in groups) but extending the friendships out of the classroom is where I really struggle. I chalk it up to two things: being a commuter and being introverted (more on both of these in a later post). It gets lonely on campus sometimes so I would really like to make a few solid friends this semester!

Look for study abroad opportunities

I LOVE traveling. While I am a very amateur traveler (never out of the US, typically family vacays, etc.), I can feel deep down how much I want to travel. There are SO many places that I want to visit. What better way than to get college credit and learn while I’m there?! I would really like to study abroad sometime in my college career. I have to keep a look out on the website and maybe even talk to an advisor to get some planning done in advance. (This leads me to my next goal)

Save $10 of every pay check

Saving money is always a great idea and always a goal of mine.Whether it be for study abroad, paying off student loans, or just saving to save up. I want to be more hands on about saving my money for the future!

Hopefully, this list has inspired something in you to set goals for yourself! I think setting goals is wonderful, even if you don’t accomplish them. I get bored when I’m not working towards something. At the end of the semester, I’m going to revisit this and see what I’ve accomplished! Here’s to a new semester!

What are your goals for the semester or for the whole year?! I would love to hear your goals!

]]>http://absolutelyariana.com/2017/01/10/spring-semester-2017-goals/feed/02016 RECAPhttp://absolutelyariana.com/2017/01/03/2016-recap/
http://absolutelyariana.com/2017/01/03/2016-recap/#commentsTue, 03 Jan 2017 13:00:44 +0000http://absolutelyariana.com/?p=1160Wow, I cant believe it’s already a new year! 2016 was a big year for me. So many amazing, incredible, once in a lifetime things happened to me and I’m so blessed for it all! Let’s have a recap, shall we? Things that happened in 2016: Turned 20 years old Met Sadie Robertson at her […]

]]>Wow, I cant believe it’s already a new year! 2016 was a big year for me. So many amazing, incredible, once in a lifetime things happened to me and I’m so blessed for it all! Let’s have a recap, shall we?

Babysat A TON (and I wouldn’t have had it any other way, love those kiddos!)

Traveled back to Atlanta with my dad and sister for Dragon Con (and met some of Hollywood’s finest)

Started my first semester at my new school

Took a “Children’s Literature” course that was about comic books and superheroes and the homework was to watch the correlating superhero movies (a dream come true in the college world, at least for me)

Best friend got accepted into Hogwarts (delivered by a special anonymous owl *wink wink*)

Had a MAGICALLY WONDERFUL time at the happiest place on earth!!! (Magic Kingdom and Epcot!)

Developed a new love for Star Wars

Started learning Italian (buongiorno!)

Made all A’s and B’s

Celebrated a wonderful and very merry Christmas at home with my favorite people in the entire world

And just like that, it’s a new year! A whole new year full of new experiences, new people, new places, new knowledge, new accomplishments. I am QUITE excited about this new year. I feel different about it, different than I ever have. I feel like some big things are going to happen this next year. Maybe not big to other people, but big for me. And I’m ready, ready take this year on head first! Let’s do this 2017!

What is something you are looking forward to in the new year?

xoxo Ariana

P.S.

This post was part of Helene’s (from heleneinbetween.com) link up party! Thank you so much for hosting this Helene!! It was my first link-up EVER so I already have a New Year’s Resolution checked off ✔

]]>http://absolutelyariana.com/2017/01/03/2016-recap/feed/6DISNEY MOMENTS: EPCOT | 2016http://absolutelyariana.com/2017/01/01/disney-moments-epcot-2016/
http://absolutelyariana.com/2017/01/01/disney-moments-epcot-2016/#respondSun, 01 Jan 2017 13:00:51 +0000http://absolutelyariana.com/?p=1050Happy New Year everybody! I hope everyone stayed safe and enjoyed ringing in the new year with people you love! I will have a recap of 2016 up on the blog on Tuesday so look out for that! But today, I have a recap of our day at Epcot a month ago! (Read about our […]

]]>Happy New Year everybody! I hope everyone stayed safe and enjoyed ringing in the new year with people you love! I will have a recap of 2016 up on the blog on Tuesday so look out for that! But today, I have a recap of our day at Epcot a month ago! (Read about our day at the Magic Kingdom!

I know it’s been a couple weeks since the trip but honestly. Finals happened, Christmas happened, just busy life happened. And that’s okay because I have had fun looking back on these pictures (even though it was literally a month ago) and I miss Disney even more! Let’s get on to more Disney Moments in Epcot, shall we?!

We arrived at the gates bright and early, right when they opened. Right when we walked in, Daisy had just walked up so we just took a quick picture with her! It was actually kind of chilly in the morning and I have NEVER been cold in Florida.

Immediately after this we rode Spaceship Earth (the big golf ball) because there was absolutely no wait. We basically were the only people on the ride, which was so cool. I remember riding this as a kid and not really getting it. Actually I felt quite bored. But as an adult and with my best friend, it was actually so cool! One of my favorite parts of the day!

Just like Magic Kingdom, Epcot was decked out for Christmas too. I loved the huge tree, especially the tree topper. The first ride we did was Mission Space, which was one of my favorites when I was little. It was exactly how I remembered it and so so fun. (Just an FYI, it’s not for the faint of heart so LISTEN to all the health warnings they give you at least 500 times before the actual ride.)

We rode the Finding Nemo Ride and Disney Moment: It was soooooo much fun. Both of us love Finding Nemo and genuinely had so much fun on the ride. Then walking around the aquarium, we walked up to this huge tank and couldn’t see anything. We were trying to figure out what animal was in it when a dolphin swam right past my face! I was so surprised and happy y’all. I love dolphins, they are one of my absolute faaaaaaavorite animals ever. Do you have that favorite animal that you often forget is your favorite? But then when you see it, you’re so amazed and in awe and excited that it brings tears to your eyes? No, just me?? Well that’s dolphins for me. Her name was Kyper and she was beautiful!! We also saw some turtles (Abby’s favorite) and manatees! It was so cool, we probably could have stayed in their for hours. We came to Disney and were amazed by sea animals, the irony.

Disney Moment: The Disney worker offered to take our picture and this was where I started to suspect Disney (well Epcot) must have a deal with Nikon or have something against Canon (which is what I use). He offered to take our picture but when he saw my camera he (jokingly) said, Nooo I can’t use a Canon! We were kind of confused but he laughed and said he was kidding!

I also noticed a lot of signs posted around the park for “Nikon Photo Spots”.

We traveled over to England for a bit and I got so excited! We saw this gorgeous heron which surprised a girl in the courtyard when it flew away, it was quite hilarious. We saw a sign that said Mary Poppins was going to be there in like five minutes so we stayed. She was so sweet, talked to me about the color pink (My favorite) and how it reminded her of a chalk drawing Bert did just the other day! She was the best!

By this time, we didn’t really have any fast passes to use so we were on our own time. We kept walking through the countries, just taking it all in. I loved walking around to the other countries and seeing the difference in all of them!

Abby spotted Belle down by the water in France and we literally ran to her. Beauty and the Beast is my favorite princess movie (soooo excited for the new one in March!) and meeting her was number one on our (my) list for the day!! She even said au revoir to me as we left!

Next up we hit Morocco! It was amazing with the smells, the food, the colors, the music, everything! It was really cool to walk through! We also heard this dad and his kids beating on the drums and they were so good that I didn’t even realize at first it was a track being played!

By this time, we were starting to get pretty hungry. If you didn’t know, Epcot has 10 (I think) different countries around the lagoon. If you don’t know, I’m obsessed with Italy. One day, I’m going to travel there. But for now, I’m just learning Italian in school and visiting via Disney World. Let me tell you. I got so giddy just walking in! I felt like I had been transported! We ate at Via Napoli. Abby got spaghetti and meatballs (a classic, can’t go wrong, was very tasty). I got the Chicken Parmesan. IT WAS THE BEST I HAD EVER TASTED. Abby ate half of it because as you can see it was huge. We also both ate some of the spaghetti. And our waitress was so nice! All of the waitstaff was from Italy and she was from this little town on the island of Sardegna. She told us about it and that not very many people have heard of it. It’s a beautiful island and I was so happy that she told us about it!

After we met Anna and Elsa in Norway, we knew that Alice was going to be in England so we headed back that way. We were a little bit early and there was a live band playing so we just sat down and listened for a little bit. The band was called British Revolution and they played quite a few good oldies, all of which I knew! They weren’t really bad either. The sun was starting to set and it was really such a Disney Moment. I sat there looking at every one all around me, dancing, having a great time, without a care in the world. Everyone there was so happy. Good vibes everywhere. There was this beautiful family near us with two little girls. The girls just danced their hearts out, their mom and dad were so happy, and it was such a Disney moment. I loved it.

Alice in Wonderland was one of my faaaaaavorite cartoons growing up. I watched it endlessly. I was really really reaaaaally excited to meet her! I was pleasantly surprised when i walked up and she talked EXACTLY like the cartoon! Her voice, how much, and how quickly she talked! It was incredible! Definitely one of my favorite moments of the day!

We had a fastpass to meet Mickey, Goofy, and Minnie which was super fun! This was when I finally figured out that Epcot really did have something against Canon because the guy who took our pictures with Mickey asked me “Are you guys pirates?” and we both looked at each other like what?! Did he actually say pirates?! So Abby said “Pirates?” and He said “Well because you guys are using a Canon” to which we rolled our eyes and laughed at.

We kinda just sat around until our fastpass for Soarin’, which was another one I had never been on before! It was SO COOL. It was full of Disney magic and also a Disney Moment in itself. It was amazing. We were getting hungry again and it had gotten a lot more crowded than it was earlier. We ended up eating cheeseburgers in America (which were delicious) and then we went to find seats for the fireworks. We were really tired and after the sun set it got cold.

(I am aware of the terrible quality of those last photos, I apologize)

The fireworks were really cool! It was so amazing to be there with Abby. I am so thankful and grateful to have been able to go on this trip with her and Heather, Jack, and Mckenzie! It was so much fun and way too short. I know I will remember it forever and we will have plenty more trips just as amazing in the future!

Also, check out my video of meeting Baymax on Instagram! The link is in the sidebar!

If you stayed this long, I congratulate you. Thank you! What is your favorite Disney park? or better yet, what is your favorite trip you have ever been on! Please let me know in the comments!